


A better fit

by Melime



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Tony Angst, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:25:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony fears he'll be replaced.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A better fit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [screamingarrows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamingarrows/gifts).
  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [Mais adequado](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214425) by [Melime GreenLeaf (Melime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime%20GreenLeaf)



> For Lizzy's birthday, she asked for Tony feeling replaced by either Sam or Bucky (or both). I did Sam, with no happy ending.

It started slow, almost imperceptibly. Steve brought Sam into the team, and everybody had to admit he was good. Everybody, especially Tony. The Falcon’s wings weren’t as versatile as Tony’s suit, but he wore them like a second skin, and his tactical and medical training more than compensated it. As an aerial support, he was the perfect choice. And overall, he was the perfect addition to the team. He worked well with everyone, was better adjusted than most of them, and was even discretely trying to get them to deal with PTSD or whatever other problems they had.

Everyone had their place on the team, something they brought to the table that no one else could. That is, at least in their original formation. Even though Thor could also fly, he and Tony worked in different ways, and there wasn’t too much of an overlap between what they did. However, that wasn’t the case between Tony and Sam. If Tony were to be honest with himself, the Falcon was more useful in his position than the Iron Man. It wasn’t as if he thought he was useless or anything like that, he just thought that eventually the rest of the team would notice that there was no need for two humans using tech to fly, fire, and provide backup. And from a tactical standpoint, the choice was clear: keep Sam as an active member and change Tony to a consultant.

Tony knew his best work was inventing things. How could he not, when everybody kept reminding him that he wasn’t hero material, that his place wasn’t there, that he wasn’t made for that life. He remembered every word, even from people that now worked with him, and preferred to pretend that didn’t happen, but they never took back what they said. They didn’t want him on the team, he was a liability, and now that they had a replacement, it was just a matter of time before he got kicked out.

He tried to tell himself that he was ok with that. After all, maybe he could be more useful standing back and providing tech support. And that was all that mattered, being useful, helping them. The fact that he didn’t want to become just a consultant didn’t matter, shouldn’t matter, he couldn’t allow himself to consider that. At least this time, he had to be a team player and do what was best for everybody else, even if it would destroy him. And maybe, if they saw he could be a team player, he would even be allowed back. But he couldn’t think like that.

He didn’t resent Sam, nor would he do anything to jeopardize his stance on the team. He had no problem with the guy being on the team, much to the contrary, he actually valued his contribution. But if there was a way for him not to be replaced… Tony found himself trying to prove his worth, to make himself indispensable, to maybe try to make it possible for both of them to stay. He didn’t want to go, no matter what he tried to tell himself, he didn’t want to leave the team, would do anything to stop that. And if that meant pushing himself harder, perhaps taking risks he shouldn’t, putting himself on the line of fire… well, if he went down, he would go down fighting.


End file.
